Final Report from the Workshop held at the National Science Foundation, Sept. 28-29, 2000.

• Complete report (nanosi.pdf; 3.1 MB; Adobe Acrobat-PDF-format).
   
• Executive Summary (front matter and executive summary: nanosi-es.pdf)
• 1. Introduction (sections 1-5 of report: nanosi-summary.pdf)
• 6.1 Overviews (section 6.1 of the report: nanosi-s61.pdf)
• 6.2 Focus on Economic and Political Implications of Potential Technology (section 6.2 of the report: nanosi-s62.pdf)
• 6.3 Focus on Science and Education Implications (section 6.3 of the report: nanosi-s63.pdf)
• 6.4 Focus on Medical, Environmental, Space Exploration and National Security Implications (section 6.4 of the report: nanosi-s64.pdf)
• 6.5 Focus on Social, Ethical, Legal, and Cultural Implications (section 6.5 of the report: nanosi-s65.pdf)
• Bibliography and Appendices (bibliography and appendices of the report: nanosi-appendices.pdf)

This report was prepared under the guidance of NSET. Any opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Government. Copyrights reserved by individual authors or their assignees except as noted herein. Reproduced by permission. The U.S. Government retains a nonexclusive and nontransferable license to all exclusive rights provided by copyright. This work relates to NSF Cooperative Agreement ENG-9707092, awarded to the International Technology Research Institute at Loyola College, World Technology (WTEC) Division. Hard copies of the report will be printed by Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2001

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Workshop on Societal Implications of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

The meeting was co-sponsored by the National Science Technology Council’s Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology (NSET). Co-chairs of the workshop were Mike Roco (Chair; NSTC's Subcommittee on Nanoscience, Engineering and Technology; and NSF; mroco@nsf.gov, http://nano.gov) and William Bainbridge (Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences; NSF; wbainbri@nsf.gov). The WTEC organizer was Geoff Holdridge (Director of WTEC, Loyola College in Maryland, gholdrid@itri.loyola.edu).

Agenda

| Objectives | Preliminary Program: Day 1, Day 2 | Invited Experts |

Workshop objectives

1. Comparative survey of the current studies on societal implications (knowledge and education, technological, economic, medical, environmental, cultural, ethical, legal, cultural, risks, etc.) of advances in nanoscience and technology at nanoscale.
2. Investigative and assessment methods for societal implication studies.
3. Vision and alternative pathways for the future: in short (3-5 years), medium (5-15 years) and long-term (over 20 years).
4. Recommend research and education areas.

A written report will be prepared at the end of the meeting. Written statements (2-10 pages on the topics outlined in the Objectives) will be required two weeks before the meeting and will be placed on this website.

The participants will be from academe, private sector and government.

| Objectives | Preliminary Program: Day 1, Day 2 | Invited Experts |

Preliminary program

Day 1 (Thursday, Room 375):
Plenary presentations (what is known and the methods of investigation)

• 8:30 Welcome to the workshop (J. Bordogna)
• 8:33 Introduction
• 8:35 About NNI and the workshop objectives (T. Kalil)
• 8:50 Global implications of nanotechnology (N. Gingrich)
• 9:10 Technological implications of nanoscience and nanotechnology (J. Armstrong)
• 9:30 Implication of nanoscience on knowledge and understanding (G. Whitesides)
• 9:50 Economic implications, diffusion and adoption of nanotechnology (I. Feller)

• 10:10 Break

• 10:30 Medical implications (R. Klausner)
• 10:50 Educational implications (R. Smalley)
• 11:10 Nanotechnology and societal transformation (M.M. Crow and D. Sarewitz)
• 11:30 Security aspects of nanotechnology (W. Tolles)
• 11:50 Environment, sustainability, and implications for nanotechnology. (L.B. Lave)
• 12:10 Research methods for societal implications in social sciences (J.S. Carroll)

• 12:30 Lunch (on site)

Day 1, Thursday
Topical sessions

(Each of the three parallel sessions will start with brief topical presentations submitted in advance for setting the stage, and will continue with debates, reaching conclusions, and preparing draft statements)

• 1:30 Topical sessions
  1. Technology, economic and political implications
     Moderator: M.C. Roco
     Room 360
     Introductory statements (each 5 minutes) from:
     • S. Williams and P. Kuekes, "Economical and societal implications"
     • R. Doering, SIA, "Long-term implications of the Moore's Law"
     • F.A. Wolak, "Economics of nanotechnology"
     • T. Picraux "Nanotechnology drivers"
     • J. Canton, "The strategic impact of nanoscience on the future of business and economics"
     • J.S. Brown et al., "The risks of nanotechnology and cultural implications" (statement only)
     Participants: J. Canton, M. Davey, R. Doering, H. Etzkowitz, R. Feinberg, I. Feller, N. Gingrich, T. Kalil, P. Kuekes, T. Picraux, M. Roco, S. Venneri, T. Theis, F.A. Wolak, G. Yonas.
      
  2. Science, education, medical, environmental and cultural implications
     Moderator: W. Bainbridge
     Room 370
     Introductory statements (each 5 minutes) from:
     • H. Glimell, "Dynamics of the emerging field of nanoscience"
     • M. Heller, Nanogen, "Implications on life on the Earth"
     • S. Stupp, NWU, "Medical and environmetal issues"
     • S. Fonash, "Workforce Implications"
     • B. Nardi, "Cultural ecology and nanotechnology"
     • F. Frankel, "Envisioning and Communicating Nanotechnology"
     • V. Vogel, UWA, "Educational goals in nanotechnology"
     Participants: J. Armstrong, W. Bainbridge, M. Daum, S. Fonash, S. Forest, F. Frankel, H. Glimell, R. Klausner, L.B. Lave, J. Merz, B. Nardi, R. Smalley, S. Stupp, G. Whitesides,
      
  3. Social, ethical, legal, international and national security implications
     Moderator: Annalynn Lacombe
     Room 390
     Introductory statements (each 5 minutes) from:
     • V. Weil, "Ethical implications of nanotechnology"
     • V. Vogel, "Ethical issues in biomedical nanotechnology?"
     • R. Smith, "Social, ethical and legal implications of nanotechnology"
     • D. Sarewitz, "Societal transformations"
     • E. Tenner, "Risks of nanotechnology development"
     • P.B. Thompson, "Social acceptance of nanotechnology"
     Participants: J.S. Carroll, J. Carroll, M.M. Crow, D. Sarewitz , R. Smith, M. Suchman, E. Tenner, P.B. Thompson, V. Vogel, V. Weil.
      
  
  Topics to be addressed in breakout sessions:
  • Address the four objectives of the workshop
  • What should be done in the future?
    • Measures for timely utilization of the new technology
    • Measures to reduce negative risks
    • Research and studies for methods and prognosis
    • Education and human resources (K-12, undergraduate and graduate;continuing training, communication with the public)

• 4:45 Break
• 5:00 Brief summary of the three topical sessions
• 7:00 Dinner at Tara Tai Restaurant

| Objectives | Preliminary Program: Day 1, Day 2 | Invited Experts |

Day 2. (Friday, Room 375)
Plenary presentations (Visions for the future, for different time scales)

• 8:30 Implications of nanotechnology on space exploration (S. Venneri)
• 8:50 Technological outlook in short and long term (T. Theis)
• 9:10 National needs drivers for nanotechnology (G. Yonas and T. Picraux)
• 9:30 Possible risks and measures to limit the risks (E. Tenner)
• 9:50 Implications on mathematics and general sciences (M.G. Forest et al.)
• 10:10 Technological and educational implications of nanotechnology (J. Merz)

• 10: 30 - 10:50 Break

Discussion on Workshop Conclusions and Research Needs
(Further brief presentation on possible pathways in the future)

• 12 - 1:30 Lunch

Day 2, PM. Reports from break-up sessions in plenary meeting, and preparation of the draft report

• 1:30 - 5:00 PM

| Objectives | Preliminary Program: Day 1, Day 2 | Invited Experts |

Invited Experts

About 30-40 participants, plus 10-20 observers from NSF and other agencies

Leading speakers

• Tom Kalil, WH
  • National Nanotechnology Initiative
• Newt Gingrich, American Enterprise Institute
  • The Age of Transitions
• John Armstrong
  • Technological Implications of Nanotechnology: Why the future needs us

Nanoscale science and technology participants

• John Seely Brown, Xerox Palo Alto Research Center
  • DON'T COUNT SOCIETY OUT-A Response to Bill Joy
• J. Canton, Global Future Business
  • The Strategic Impact of Nanoscience on the Future of Business and Economics
• Michael Crow, Columbia University
  • Nanotechnology and Societal Transformation
• Michael E. Davey, Congressional Research Service (CRS)
• Robert Doering, Texas Instruments
  • Implications of Scaling to Nanoelectronics
• Stephen J. Fonash, Penn State University
  • Implications of Nanotechnology on the Workforce
• M. Gregory Forest, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Mathematical Challenges in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
• Felice Frankel, MIT
  • Envisioning and Communicating Nanotechnology to the Public
• Michael J. Heller, Nanogen
  • Societal Implications of Nanotechnology
• Richard D. Klausner, National Cancer Institute
  • Challenges and Vision or Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in Medicine: Cancer as a Model
• Phil Kuekes, Hewlett Packard Laboratories
  • We’ve Only Just Begun
• James Merz, University of Notre Dame
  • Technological and Educational Implications of Nanotechnology
• S. Tom Picraux, Sandia National Laboratories
  • National Needs Drivers for Nanotechnology
• Daniel Sarewitz, Columbia University
  • Nanotechnology and Societal Transformation
• Richard Smalley, Rice University
  • Nanotechnology, Education, and the Fear of Nanobots
• Richard H. Smith, II, Consultant
  • Social, Ethical, and Legal Implications of Nanotechnology
• Samuel I. Stupp, Northwestern University
• Nanotechnology in Medicine
• Edward Tenner, Princeton University
  • Nanotechnology and Unintended Consequences
• Tom N. Theis, IBM Research, T.J. Watson Research Center
  • Information Technology Based on a Mature Nanotechnology: Some Societal Implications
• William M. Tolles, Consultant (Naval Research Laboratory, Retired)
  • National Security Aspects of Nanotechnology
• Samuel Venneri, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • Ethics as a Decision Criteria for Technology Planning and Development
• Viola Vogel, University of Washington
• Impact of Nanotechnology in Education
• The Fine Line Between Reality and Science Fiction in Medicine
• George M. Whitesides
  • Implications of Nanoscience for Knowledge and Understanding
• Gerold (Gerry) Yonas, Sandia National Laboratories
  • National Needs Drivers for Nanotechnology

Social sciences participants

• John Carroll, MIT Sloan School
  • Methods for Societal Implications
• Henry Etzkowitz
• Irwin Feller, Pennsylvania State University
  • An Economist’s Approach to Analyzing the Societal Impacts of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
• Hans Glimell, Göteborg University
  • Dynamics of the emerging field of nanoscience
• Lester B. Lave, Carnegie Mellon University
• Lifecycle/Sustainability Implications of Nanotechnology
• Bonnie A. Nardi, AT&T Labs-Research
  • A Cultural Ecology of Nanotechnology
• Mark Suchman, University of Wisconsin
• Envisioning Life on the Nano-Frontier
• Paul B. Thompson, Purdue University
  • Social Acceptance of Nanotechnology
• Vivian Weil, Illinois Institute of Technology
  • Ethical Issues in Nanotechnology
• Frank A Wolak, Stanford University